The present invention is a device which may be placed within a container so as to float or lie on the surface of a material contained within a container to reduce or prevent the container which would normally result from contact by the material with the environment.
Many types of materials are stored within containers of all configurations. Liquids, colloidal substances, semi-solids, and solid materials are placed within containers. These containers are of many types and shapes. They include tanks, drums, bottles, jars, cans, and flasks.
Most containers are provided with a top, lid, cover, or other device which aids in containing the substance, but also aids in preventing the material from exposure to the atmosphere. However, as material is removed from the container, an air space results within the container. Air, or perhaps another gas in certain environments, enters the container, so as to interact within the material contained within the container. Each time the container is opened, the material is exposed to the atmosphere and the air or other gas which enters the container is renewed.
This exposure to the atmosphere as the container is opened, and the entry of air into the container, may have adverse effects on the contents of the container. If the material has a high vaporization rate, accelerated evaporation of the material may result from frequent opening of the container. If the material is a liquid in which a gas has been dissolved, for example, carbonated water, the gas, such as carbon dioxide, will tend to escape from the liquid into the environment. Other materials which are affected by oxidation or are otherwise affected by exposure from air or other environments resulting from exposure to frequent opening and closing of the container can be given as examples.